One megawatt per day: North Macedonia enjoys strong renewable energy growth

Over the past four years, North Macedonia has achieved strong growth in renewable energy sources. A total of 1,200 MW of capacity has been connected to the grid, marking a new phase of the country’s energy transition, according to Marko Bislimoski, President of the Energy, Water Services, and Municipal Waste Management Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of North Macedonia (ERC).

According to ERC data, almost 1 MW of renewable capacity has been added to the grid every day over the past four years.

Between 2022 and October 2025, North Macedonia built 1,200 MW of renewable power generation capacity, Bislimoski said at the Regional Conference on Green Transformation of the Western Balkans, held in Tirana, Albania.

“Electricity generation from solar power has become a reality – the El Dorado of photovoltaic plants has heralded the country’s energy transition, initiating a transformation of the power sector. The figures are encouraging, but the period ahead will be full of challenges, among which is balancing the system, when it comes to renewable electricity generation,” Bislimoski said.

Solar power capacity has overtaken hydropower

At the recently held 14th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development (IFESD-14), Sanja Božinovska, Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, said that renewable energy sources account for more than half of North Macedonia’s total installed electricity generation capacity – 56% as of 2024.

Solar power plants account for 28%, while large hydropower plants have a 24% share.

“For the first time in our history, solar has overtaken hydro – a symbolic and practical milestone in our path toward decarbonization,” Božinovska stated.

Need for investments in baseload generation

Bislimoski emphasized that in the current phase of the energy transition, it is necessary to encourage investments in energy facilities that produce baseload energy.

The use of battery storage has its role, but it is essential to implement projects that will replace coal-fired power generation with gas or biomass, he added

The digitalization of administrative procedures for obtaining the necessary permits and documentation was highlighted as a key prerequisite for increasing the number of green investments, according to the panel How to Create Zones for Faster Implementation of Green Projects.

Speakers, including energy experts, economists, and representatives of national and local authorities, agreed that the energy transition will only be successful if households also feel its benefits, not just industry. Policies and reforms aimed at building a smart and green energy future must be a priority for regional governments to facilitate integration into the European energy market.